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Glowton Republic
The Glowton Republic is a collection of farming communities a short distance from the Dalko Jungles, settled right where the sands start to become soil, nestled in the bosom of the inactive Baraghess Volcano. Glowton is considered something of a marvel as far as Wasteland communities go- they possess no walls, great or small, with which to keep out raiders, aggressive wildlife, or the elements; only stubborn citizens and the Law, which has somehow managed to keep the place going for a little over sixty years now. This is an incredibly long lifespan compared to most communities, which are lucky to last five or ten years at a time. And they do this without any Golden Age technology. No subterranean biodomes, hidden hydroponics labs, or hidden shelters in the nearby Baraghess. They rely entirely on their own grit, stubbornness, and knowledge. Glowton possesses a wealth of botanical and xenofloral knowledge, passed down from generation to generation, allowing them to cultivate all manner of unique and hardy foodstuffs that make them a valuable trading partner- and their refusal to share this information, or even destroy it should their sovereignity be threatened, has allowed them to maintain their independence despite their lack of a strong military presence. Glowton is a true marvel of agricultural engineering. Using only rainwater brought by the frequent storms which coalesce over the jungles and move out eastwards, the farmers are able to coax all manner of plant life from soil of such poor quality that only the most desperate farmer would even dare trying to use it. Yet they are able to grow enough to not only feed themselves, but enough to exist as a stable source of food for places such as Paradise City and the Jemmarrahj Emirates, both of which have minimal agricultural bases. Their other primary source of income is the presence of the Baraghess and a wealth of exotic beasts. The Baraghess is known to have several tunnels deep within which lead to a number of geologically fascinating natural cavern formations, supposedly loaded to the brim with all sorts of valuable gemstones if one knows where to dig and doesn't mind digging deep enough. This draws numerous geologists and miners to Glowton eager for permits that grant them the right to dig under the Baraghess, in the hopes of striking a motherlode- the cost of these permits combined with taxation on any significant veins found has proven to be quite the proverbial cash cow. Additionally, hunting licenses are provided to big game hunters eager to add strange beasts to their collections, which provides such hunters with new trophies, and eliminates aggressive wildlife which tends to threaten Glowton farmlands, thus freeing up the Law to handle internal security more efficiently. This increase in peacekeeping abilities has proven critical to the safety of Glowton, as a recent trade agreement with entrepreneurs from Paradise City has made Glowton's capital community a major pit-stop for cross-country racing events. This agreement has brought hordes of engineers and mechanics- people that are always in high demand and short supply normally- and entertainment industry personnel to the capital community looking for work. Once very small, the capital has become a veritable boomtown. Local commercial industries have become almost choked on a sudden explosion of wealth and prosperity, with inns and restaurants and other unfamiliar luxuries springing up almost overnight. Unfortunately, these incredible commercial successes have brought with them a great deal of negative repercussions- criminal activities from Paradise City's various gangs are not particularly welcome in Glowton, and the local law enforcement agencies are kept busy almost around the clock trying to keep the Republic's holdings safe from miscreants, criminals, spies, and industrial saboteurs, who see the Republic as a potential battleground for their private wars. Though most scoff at the notion of Glowton being a true republican entity, it is nonetheless managed as one. The Republic is governed by a Council comprised of the leaders of every participating community, who remain in the central capital community at all times to manage the burgeoning nation-state's needs. Though the wealthiest and most successful council members hold the most sway, they do not often pull their clout unless necessary- if an equal and fair distribution of resources is not maintained, then they will crumble to pieces, and their independence will be overridden by more powerful nations eager for their holdings. To this end, the Council is overseen by- and answers only to- the Marshal, who in turn is overseen and answers only to the Council. The Marshal has the right to revoke a council member's status should he or she be proven to have ulterior motives that jeopardize the Republic's safety and prosperity, and the Council has the power to remove the Marshal should they be incapable, incompetent, or too corrupt to handle the job, which likewise would threaten the Republic's future. The Council handles Glowton's diplomatic relations, regulates trade and commerce, and provides permits and licensing arrangements as they see fit, and the Marshal handles all of the Republic's law enforcement, military needs, and legal matters as he or she sees fit. This tightwire act is slowly becoming more expensive as time goes by, but the Freelancers hired to supplement the Republic's forces in times of trouble often more than pay for themselves with the goods they acquire in the course of their personal adventures, or the lives they save in service to the Republic. The current Marshal of the Glowton Republic is the young Halcyon Grinn. A human boy of Negro descent, only thirteen years old; Grinn inherited the job from his mother, who died during a particularly fierce assault on the town by the White Ghost Legion a few years ago- and since no one else seemed to be willing to take on the mantle of Marshal, Halcyon volunteered. Though many saw, and many still do, see this as something of a joke, little Marshal Grinn takes his job very seriously. He has willingly sacrificed the rest of his childhood for the sake of Glowton's security, and is quick to remind people of that by showing off his remarkable tenacity, fearlessness, skill with his mother's rifle- a weapon which is larger and heavier than he is- and swift reaction to hostile situations. It helps that his right hand man, mentor, role model, and bodyguard is a very old Standard Mechanoid. Halcyon is the only surviving member of Deputy Leadtooth's Network, and the Mechanoid is extremely protective of the boy. He's about as hard-assed as they come, doesn't have much of a sense of humor, and has repeatedly proven that disobeying the Law, or threatening his ward, is a very poor course of action. The gun-mages that serve as Glowton's police and military forces also adore their Marshal, and are willing, even eager, to brutalize anyone that spits on him for his youth- which makes Halcyon's job very difficult, as he must not only keep the peace in the Republic, but keep the leash on his own deputies tight lest they become too zealous and wind up outlaws themselves. Further adding to the Marshal's woes- and as such, the woes of the Republic- are the recent deals made with Paradise City's entertainment media corporations, and the Yuan-ti who come out of the Dalko every so often. The deals made with Paradise City brings a huge amount of revenue in from the metropolis- the Republic's capital township of New Tarska has become a major stopping point for several cross-country racing events, and a major refueling and sorting area for international shipping. Following these deals, Glowton has agreed to maintain several hundred miles of railroad lines, a fair sized air strip, and the old Haljran highways, with assistance from the Reclamators and a number of private engineering companies. While these agreements are profitable, they've brought a good chunk of Paradise City with them; the Marshal and his deputies fear that some of the City's less savory elements might either try to set up and take over major economic functions which could then be leveraged against the Republic, allowing for a Paradisian conquest of the region. Even promises from Mr. Cartwright himself to respect the Republic's sovereignty have failed to allay these concerns. The other issue, the Yuan-ti, has only become a significant problem in the last five or so years, not long after a caravan of Ssilra set up a Snaketown not far from the capital. While most folks are well aware of the differences, cosmetic and physiological, between the Ssilra and the Yuan-ti, the issue is less about Yuan-ti disguising themselves as Ssilra and more about the Snaketown's residents (and they're friends, and those around them, etc) being targeted by spies trying to get their claws on magic-related articles that the Yuan-ti might use to further their nefarious goals and beliefs. Further exacerbating the issue are hunters from Dalkan villages who come in search of Yuan-ti to exterminate, who follow their own rules and beliefs while pursuing their quarries, which often brings them into conflict with the Law. As time goes on incidences of Yuan-ti expansion- which involves trying to divert resources from Glown to their secret strongholds and hideouts, usually manpower for slavery and sacrifices whenever possible- coming into conflict with the Dalkan hunters are only increasing and slowly but surely escalating in intensity. The only real relief the Republic sees from incursions by hunters relentlessly pursuing spies is when a few of the larger national powers use the Dalko to fight their proxy wars, generally affording Glowtonites a few years peace. Naruvan Wastes Back to Main Page